Dry cell lamp switch



Feb. 20, 1951 J, AUFIERO 2,542,613

DRY CELL LAMP SWITCH Filed Sept. 8, 1947 INVENTOR John M Adm;

BY M KW ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 20, 1951 DRY CELL LAMP SWITCH John M. Aufiero, Plandome, N. Y., assignor to E. A. Laboratories, Inc., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 8, 1947, Serial No. 772,856

1 Claim. 1

The invention relates to dry cell lamp switch.

Although it will be apparent that certain features of the invention are advantageous in lamps of general utility I consider my invention to be especially applicable to relatively small lamps having provision for mounting one or more dry cells Within the casing and an electric bulb in direct connection therewith. Such lamps for example may be of the flashlight or portable type, or for mounting onthe frame or chassis of bicycles, carriages, and the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide an inexpensive electric lamp of the self-powered type which will withstand severe vibrations in use without failure.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide an improved switch construction for an electric lamp, said switch being of simple and inexpensive type and yet capable of maintaining its pre-set operative position despite extreme vibrations in use.

Other features and advantages of the invention will hereafter be apparent from the following and detailed description thereof.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a vertical elevation, in section, of a lamp embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof, with a portion of the bezel broken away to reveal underlying structure and the casing cover plate removed;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on lines 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail, showing the switch in closed circuit position; and

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation, showing a second form of socket mounting means.

Referring to the drawings for a more complete description of the invention, a presently preferred embodiment includes a casing ||l to which is riveted or otherwise affixed a bezel H, and a removable cover part |2. The casing I is desirably of pressed metal, and is completely open along the edge I l. The bezel serves to stiffen the otherwise unsupported front edge of the casing. Cover I2 telescopes within the top half-portion of the bezel and laps over the side edges of the casing II, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. At the rear, the cover has a pin l which projects through a hole provided in the rear wall of the casing. Securement of the cover is completed by a screw (not shown) which passes through the bezel and the underlying cover. It is therefore apparent that the interior of the casing is completely accessible upon removal of the cover.

Fixedly secured within the casing along the central axis thereof is a rigid metallic support I6 which is riveted or otherwise fastened to the casing at spaced locations as shown. Said support provides a strong backbone for the casing and stifiens the same at the point of attachment of the saddle or clamp indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1 which typifies any suitable means for securing the lamp to bicycle frame or other supporting structure. The support l6 also provides for the mounting of the battery receptacle H, the leaf spring I8 and the switch lever IS.

The battery receptacle I! is preferably of spring metal suitable to embrace the sides of the cells 20 in such fashion as to hold them securely. The length of the receptacle I9 is as required to accommodate the desired number of dry cells in the customary end to end series-connected relationship.

In the Fig. 1 embodiment spring hinge |8 comprises a leaf spring riveted to the support IS in electrically conductive relation therewith. A substantially vertical e ement 2| of said hinge receives the body of the bulb socket 22. Element 2| is adjacent to, and in diametric relationship with, bezel Said element is spring biased for normal rotation counterclockwise of Fig. 1. A finger piece 23 is readily accessible upon removal of cover I2, and affords means whereby the element 2| may be rotated rearwardly.

Socket 22 is used as the means for securing the reflector 24. Accordingly the said socket is provided with a central flange 25 and after the socket has been passed through the hinge element 2| and a suitable opening centrally of the reflector 24, the edge 26 is spun or headed over to secure the reflector firmly in position. In effect, therefore, the lamp socket comprises a tubular rivet. The bulb 21 may be provided with the conventional shock absorbing spring 28 to absorb bulb vibrations. The spring hinge I8 likewise provides a cushion support. The central terminal of bulb 21 bears resiliently against the central pole of a dry cell 20, as is common in the art.

Lens 29 may advantageously be of relatively thin transparent plastic having a skirt portion 30 extending rearwardly of a shoulder or offset 3|. It will be noted that the bezel fits over the said offset portion and that the reflector 24 has a rim or flange 32 which abuts against the lens to urge the shoulder portion thereof against the inner wall of the bezel ring. Desirably the inner diameter of the lens at its shoulder portion is slightly greater than the diameter of the opening of the bezel so that the lens is frictionally held in position. The lens may be cemented to and 43. In the Figure 1 position the cam surfac thereof relative to the pivot 40 the switch will b ship with the member 33.

said bezel if desired, because as will later appearf it is unnecessary to remove the lens when inserting or replacing a bulb.

The end portion 33 of the support 15 comprises one element of the electrical circuit, the spring hinge element 2| being in electrical connection with the shell of socket 22. Said end 33 is preferably secured to the casing [0 by the rivet 34 and is hence immobile within the casing. The switch per se includes a spring strip 35 one portion 36 of which extends upwardly and inwardly to electrically contact the metallic casing of a cell 20. The portion 36 bears firmly against the end of the cell and urges it forwardly. The opposite end 3'! of the strip is springable and 15 forms the movable element of the switch. An insulating sleeve or washer 38 prevents short circuiting of the switch strip 35 and the opposite polarity circuit element 33 and hence the rivet 34 may be usedto secure the respective circuit 20 elements to the casing. i,

The switch arm 19 is of insulation material and is pivotally affixed to the member 33 in any suitable manner, such as passing the head of said switch arm through a narrow slot 39 and/on 5 utilizing a pivot pin 40. The head of switch arm l9 has two fiat cam surfaces, respectively 4 42 has rocked and is holding the switch sprih arm 3'! out of engagement with circuit elemen 33. Because of the cam flat and the positio held in open position notwithstanding vibratio s or shocks when in use. The rotation of the switch arm counterclockwise as in Fig. 4 will bring the relatively lower cam surface 43 int operative position and permit the switch arm 3 to snap downwardly into circuit closing relatio In the Fig. 5 embodiment, the spring hinge l 0 comprises a leaf I90 afiixed to support I6, and a vertical leaf M0 to which the socket 22 and refiector 24 are afilxed as aforesaid. A simple mousetrap, spring 2 urges leaf 2) in the direction of the bezel and lens. A finger piece 230, accessible upon removal of the cover I2, makes it possible to rotate leaf 2l0 rearwardly.

When it is necessary to install or replace a bulb 21 it is necessary only to remove the cover l2 and to remove the batteries 20 from their clip i1 whereupon finger pressure will rotate the hinge. element 2| or 2H) clockwise so that the bulb 21 may be easily reached from above. The reflector freely disengages from the lens 29,

which remains in position. After the bulb has been inserted in the socket the release of the hinge element will permit it to snap back into its original position in which the reflector 24 again engages with the inside edge of the lens 29. The cells 20 are then replaced and the cover restored, whereupon the lamp is again ready for operation.

I claim:

In a lamp having an elongated casing containing an elongated rigid metallic structure extending longitudinally of said casing affording a stiffening framework for said casing and supporting a means for holding a plurality of dry cells in series interconnected relationship on said metallic structure together with a bulb socket mounting in electrical connection therewith, the combination of a metal, elongated, electrical, spring contact mounted on, insulated from and longitudinally parallel to said elongated metallic structure, a first armof said contact in electrical spring contact engagement with the rearmost of said series connected dry cells, a lever pivoted on said casing in alignment with said elongated metallic structure, a dog on said pivoted lever moving through an arc in alignment with said elongated metallic structure, and a second spring contact arm of saidcontact under spring bias urging it in electrical contact with said elongated metallic structure and adjacentto said dog so as to be contacted thereby, whereby said second spring arm is movable out of electrical contact with said elongated metallic structure upon pivoting said lever in a direction of rotation and into electrical contact upon reversing the direction of rotation, said opening and closing of electrical contact making and breaking the circuit through said dry cell and a bulb in said socket.

- JOHN M. AUFIERO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

